CST002 CD
SOFA
Grey
Sofa’s five-year run culminated in the recording of a proper full-length in winter 1996. Tracked during overnight sessions at an East End Montreal studio, the album is a shrouded, finely wrought song cycle of sensory overload and the sense of loss. Mixed bone dry and with almost no overdubs, guitarist Ian Ilavsky (Constellation co-founder, Silver Mt. Zion, Re:) cuts against the metronomic pacesetting of bassist Scott Clarkson and drummer Keith Marchand (Quinimine, Donkeys) while Brad Todd’s schizophrenic vocals alternate between staccato bursts and a dark, damaged croon. This is artpunk that rocks, as “Ch.2chi.”, “Monotone”, “80,000”, “Comma” and “Stress” will attest. The band also slows down and sheds a few tears, with various takes on the ‘weeping’ song, including “Red Lake”, “Travel” and “Medicine Hat”. Sofa disbanded six months after the release of Grey.